HEBRON, Wednesday, December 16, 2020 (WAFA) – Israeli settlers Wednesday morning set up once again a mobile home on the lands of al-Baq‘a village, east of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, according to local sources.

The landowner, ‘Aref Jaber, told WAFA that the settlers, under heavy military protection, proceeded to rebuild the structure, torn down by the villagers few days ago, on his plot of land in the village, located adjacent to the Israeli colonial settlement of Qiryat Arba‘.

Jaber added that his land covers a complete hill, which overlooks large parts of the 50-donum area, which the settlers are striving to take over for the expansion of nearby colonial settlements.

He confirmed that he has title deeds proving that the hill is his private property, as he called upon human rights commissions to help him protect his land from confiscation.

Horizontally located some four kilometers to the east of Hebron at an altitude of 915 meters above sea level, al-Baq‘a village has a population of some 1,500, whose majority depends on agriculture and livestock rearing for livelihood.

The village occupies a total area of 1,500 donums, 150 donums of which are classified as built-up area, 600 dunams are classified as arable land, including 100 dunams cultivated with grape trees and vegetables, and 450 others classified as forests and open spaces.

The Israeli occupation authorities have seized at least 1,000 dunams during the second Intifada, including 600 donums for the construction of the section of Israel’s apartheid wall, which isolates the villages from the east and north and pushes the villagers into a crowded enclave, a ghetto, surrounded by walls, settlements and military installations.

The construction of the wall resulted in the confiscation of an additional 100 donums and the destruction of some 2,000 trees.

The village is flanked by three Israeli colonial settlements, Qiryat Arba‘ to the south, Ramat Mamre (Kharsine) to the west and Qiryat Five to northwest.

K.T./ K.F